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French frigate Galathée (1779)

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Galathée, drawn in 1781 by François Aimé Louis Dumoulin
History
French Navy Ensign French Navy Ensign French Navy EnsignFrance
NameGalathée
NamesakeGalatea
BuilderRochefort [1]
Laid downJanuary 1778 [1]
Launched28 June 1779 [1]
FateRan aground 1795 [1]
General characteristics
Class and typeGalathée class frigate
Tons burthen600 tonnes
Length44.5 m (146 ft)
Beam12.2 m (40 ft)
Depth of hold5.5 m (18 ft)
PropulsionSails
Sail planFull-rigged ship
Armament32 guns, later upgraded to 44

Galathée (or Galatée) [1][2] was a 32-gun frigate of the French Navy, lead ship of her class.

Career

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In February 1780, Galathée escorted convoys in the Bay of Biscay, along with Hermione.[2]

Galathée took part in the Naval operations in the American Revolutionary War, taking part in the capture of Sint Eustatius and to the Battle of the Saintes. [1] [3]

In the summer of 1791, under Major de vaisseau Joseph de Cambis, she ferried French national commissioners to Saint-Domingue.[4] In March 1792, in support of one of these commissioners, Edmond de Saint-Léger, Galathée shelled the forces of Romaine-la-Prophétesse which were attacking Léogâne.[5]

During the French Revolution, she took part in the Combat du 13 prairial, where she took Terrible in tow, under fire, preventing her capture by the British. [1]

On 14 July 1794 she and Seine captured the 16-gun sloop-of-war HMS Hound in the Atlantic.[6] [1]

In the night of 23 to 24 April 1795, Galathée ran aground off Penmarch, becoming a total loss. [1]

Citations

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Roche (2005), p. 219.
  2. ^ a b Monaque (2000), p. 35.
  3. ^ Troude (1867), p. 141.
  4. ^ Fonds Marine, vol.1, p.29
  5. ^ Rey, Terry (2017). The Priest and the Prophetess: Abbé Ouvière, Romaine Rivière, and the Revolutionary Atlantic World. Oxford University Press. pp. 153–155. ISBN 978-0190625849.
  6. ^ Grocott (1997), p.8.

References

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  • Archives de France (2000). Fonds marine campagnes : opérations, divisions et stations navales, missions diverses : inventaire de la sous-série Marine BB⁴. Centre historique des Archives nationales. ISBN 978-2860002653.
  • Monaque, Rémi (2000). Les aventures de Louis-René de Latouche-Tréville, compagnon de La Fayette et commandant de l'Hermione (in French). Paris: SPM.
  • Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours. Vol. 1. Group Retozel-Maury Millau. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6.
  • Troude, Onésime-Joachim (1867). Batailles navales de la France (in French). Vol. 2. Challamel ainé.
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